Picture container



y 7, 1968 I J. M. HAUGEN 3,381,850

PICTURE CONTAINER Filed June 5, 1966 Fig./

John M. Haugen INVEN'IOK.

United States Patent 3,381,850 PICTURE CONTAINER John M. Haugen, Rte. 1, Box 236, Lake Stevens, Wash. 98258 Filed June 3, 1966, Ser. No. 555,121 1 Claim. (Cl. 22031) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The container disclosed is expressly designed and adapted to store and protect photographic prints and negatives, if desired. It is preferably made of colorful moldable plastic material and provides a highly satisfactory container which lends itself to practical use by a photo developing and finishing establishment and which, as a general rule, is given, Without extra charge, to the customer with the supply of prints contained therein. The customer accepts the protectively confined prints for placement in a garment 'pocket or handbag for convenient handling. Then, after the photos have served their initial purpose they can be and are replaced in the container and thus grouped and kept for subsequent viewing whenever necessary or desired.

This invention relates to a novel pocket-size box-like container for protectively storing memorable pictures, photographic prints, negatives and related memoranda and which is expressly, but not necessarily, designed and adapted for use in a photo developing and finishing establishment for sale to customers over the counter or which may, as is often the case, be given without extra charge to the customer with the ordered prints and negatives contained therein.

Briefly, the invention comprises a flat colorful box made of moldable plastic material, polypropylene for example, and which comprises a tray provided with a hinged cover or lid and lugs or detents fixed on the front wall portions and coacting in providing a snap-action catch which keeps the lid closed. The herein described containers currently and popularly in use are suitable for 3 /2 x 3 /2 inch (also 3 /2 x 5 /2 inch) prints but may well vary in size.

Instead of handing the prints to the customer in a simple paper sack or bag, as is generally done, the herein disclosed plastic box or container is substituted for the bag. Not only is this container colorfully attractive it has proved out to be highly practical in that it is indicative of and in keeping with service not offered by competitive photographers. More particularly, when the customer receives this container wifh the prints protectively confined therein it can be slipped in a garment pocket or handbag for easy handling and carrying. After the Photos have served their initial purpose they are replaced in the container and thus can be safely grouped and kept for subsequent viewing whenever necessary or desired.

To the ends desired, the exterior of the bottom of the tray is provided with a significant outstanding head which borders said bottom and defines and provides a marginally framed surface. This surface can be and may, if desired, be used in that a gummed label is pasted within the encompassing limits of the frame where it remains intact. The framed space can be used, with or without a label, to quickly reveal the nature or subject matter of the enclosed photos and date (or dates) on which they were taken and so on. The frame protects the label and data Written thereon and is one of the features of the inventive concept.

An equally important feature has to do with a unique hinge. To be sure, there are many and various styles and forms of plastic prior art boxes with hingedly attached lids or covers. Nevertheless and even so, the construction herein shown is deemed to reveal an innovation. Accordingly, in carrying out the present invention a membranous polypropylene strip of elongated uniform width is provided. This strip is folded upon itself to provide flap-like symmetrical half-portions. One half-portion is joined with a rear marginal edge of the lid or cover and the other halfportion is joined to an upper marginal edge of the tray whereby to thus provide a pliant web which, in turn, provides a unique lid attaching hinge.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which: I

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a picture container, approximately full size, constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and showing the lid or cover partially open and the tray empty.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective on a smaller scale with the lid closed and which is significant in that it brings out the construction and position of the novel integral webtype hinge.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the plane of the section line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a relatively small bottom plan view which brings out the construction of the beaded or framed bottom.

One principal component part of the over-all box or container comprises the tray or receiver portion 6. The complemental lid or cover is denoted at 8 and the cover and tray connecting hinge is denoted, generally construed, by the numeral 10. These several component parts are formed from moldable polypropylene plastic material. In actual practice the material is preferably, but not necessarily, non-transparent and is of a suitable color. The containers which are presently being used are yellow but obviously, any suitable color may be employed in keeping with the desire of the manufacturer or distributor as the case may be.

With specific reference to the tray it will be seen that the rectangular bottom wall, which is flat faced, is denoted by the numeral 12. This bottom wall is marginally encompassed or surrounded by integrally joined upstanding rim-forming walls. The front wall is denoted at 14 (FIGS. 1 and 3), the opposed rear wall at 16 and the duplicate interconnecting side walls at 18. With further reference to FIG. 3 it will be seen that the upper edge of the rear wall is differentiated, for sake of description by the numeral 20. The median upper edge portion of the front wall 14 is provided with a relatively small outstanding lug or detent 22 which is in a position to accommodate a coacting lug or detent 24 which is provided on the front depending lip or flange 26 of the rectangular cover or lid 28. This lid is of an area to span and normally cover the open top of the tray or receptacle 6. The depending side flanges of the lid are denoted at 30. A suitable portion of the exterior or top surface 32 of the lid is provided with an ornamental decoration 34 which comprises inner and outer embossed ribs or the like 36. In actual practice this frame-like ornament contains and word picture. Then, too, the surface 32 is provided with a distinctive trademark (not shown) and other descriptive matter primarily for advertising purposes.

With reference now to the aforementioned hinge 10, it will be noted that it is a simple integral foldable pliant web, more specifically a membranous polypropylene strip of uniform width form end to end which is possessed of desired inherent manually bendable properties. This strip of material is folded upon itself between its ends as at 38 (FIGS. 2 and 3). It thus defines a pair of symmetrical flap-like half-portions 40 and 42. One ha1f-p0rtion 42 is joined with the aforementioned upper edge 20 of the rear wall 16. The other half-portion is joined to a similar coacting marginal edge 44 (FIG. 3) of the lid. It follows that both half-portions project beyond and overhang the rear wall 16. The inherent springy properties of the hinge tends to swing the lid or cover to open position. Hence assuming that the lid is closed as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when one places a finger against the wall 14 and exerts slight inward pressure, the detents are released and the inherent resiliency of the built-in hinge tends to swing the lid to open position. This construction and arrangement provides the desired snap-action result.

With reference now to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the aforementioned bottom frame is denoted by the numeral 46. It comprises a bead 48 which extends around the bottom wall surface inwardly of the marginal edges and defines a fiat-framed zone or area 50 which in practice is adapted to contain a gummed label (not shown) whereby to preserve the label and to keep it intact, The surface of the label will be provided with written data providing the desired identification of subject matter, the date or dates involved and presenting such additional memoranda as may be desired. It is to be understood that the suggested use of a gummed label is optional and that the surface of the bottom wall is such that it permits the user to write or otherwise supply information relative to the photographic prints, that is, the prints which are confined in the container. Then, too, it is within the purview of the invention to emboss or display self-explanatory indicia in one corner portion of the framed area and which in and of itself is descriptive, generally speaking, of the predetermined purpose of the space.

In practice, after the purchaser or customer has examined the prints and has paid for same, the prints are transferred from the usual paper bag into the receptacle portion of the tray of the protective container or box herein shown and described. Thus the prints are protected and, after the same have served their initial viewing purposes, they are returned to the box or container and maintained safely for future reference purposes. The advantages of this manner of handling and of storage are self-evident. Accordingly, it is submitted that the invention well serves the purposes for which it is intended.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A container for storing and protecting photographic prints, negatives and the like comprising: an open top boxlike tray embodying a bottom wall marginally encompassed by upstanding front, rear and side walls defining and providing a rim for said tray, a lid providing a cover for said tray, said lid having a rear marginal edge terminating contiguous to and registering with the underlying upper edge of said rear wall, and also having front and side marginal edges overhanging said front and side walls and retaining said lid in a tray-closing position, a pliant web commensurate in length with the length of said rear marginal edge and said rear wall and integrally joined therewith and providing a lid and tray connecting hinge, the exterior of the bottom surface of said bottom wall being provided inwardly of said front, rear and side walls with an embossed endless bead defining a framed space adapted to permit the user to write or otherwise supply information relative to the photographic prints confined within said container, and said bottom Wall being also provided within the confines of said space with embossed self-explanatory indicia descriptive of the predetermined purpose of said space.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,670,261 2/ 1954 Mueller 206-62 2,687,157 8/1954 Cowan 220-31 2,842,178 7/1958 Solomon 22031 THERON E. CONDON, Primaly Examiner.

JAMES B. MARBERT, Examiner. 

